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Grégoire: A User’s Guide
Fast French Cuisine | Famous Potato Puffs | Fancy Takeout | Monthly Changing Menus
Sample Menu
Sandwich: buttermilk-fried chicken with spicy coleslaw
Side: crispy potato puffs
Dessert: bread pudding
Meet the Chef: Grégoire Jacquet brought his sensibility from his home of Versailles and his cooking techniques from an apprenticeship in the kitchen of a four-star restaurant. After jet-setting to the various kitchens of the Ritz-Carlton as an executive sous chef, he settled down to entertain Bay Area taste buds with a constantly updated menu of quick, accessible French favorites.
In the Pantry
Bread from Semifreddi's
Eggs from Glaum Egg Ranch
Dairy from Straus Family Creamery
Sustainably farmed chicken from Petaluma Poultry
Inside Tips
There are a handful of seats at the counter (Oakland) or outside (Berkeley), but if you're feeding a group, make it takeout.
The kitchen's small, so call ahead to order takeout if you have time constraints.
While You Wait: Plot what you'll build once you've emptied Gregoire's octagonal takeout boxes, which seem almost too cute and too sturdy to toss in the recycling bin.
Trophy Cabinet
One of The Bay Area's 9 Top Takeout Spots, San Francisco Magazine, 2005
Best Takeout, East Bay Express, 2004
Potato puffs named one of San Francisco Magazine's Best 125 Things to Eat, 2003
When to Go: You'll find Gregoire's most beloved dishes and slightly lower prices at lunch.
Vocab Lesson
Cornichon: French for "gherkin," these small, tart pickles traditionally accompany pâté and other French dishes.
Croque-monsieur: Originating in French cafés, this pressed sandwich is filled with ham, gruyère, and béchamel. (A fried egg turns it into a croque-madame.)

Relax and savor Crepevine's casual ambiance and classic American cuisine.
Low-fat, vegan, and gluten-free selections are also on the menu at Crepevine.
Crepevine guests can also take advantage of the many drink options offered here.
Gather the whole family for a trip to Crepevine — everyone will find something to like (even the pickiest little eater) on the menu here.
Al fresco eating options are also available at Crepevine, which offers a lovely patio seating area for warmer months.
Give the restaurant a call to reserve your table ahead of time.
Through their catering service, Crepevine can also set out a delicious spread for your next party.
Or, take your food to-go.
Sidle into a space on the street or park your vehicle in the adjacent lot.
Prices at Crepevine typically stay below the $30 mark, so you can afford to bring along a friend or a date.

Head to A Cote, a local Mediterranean restaurant, for good times and good eats.
Those watching what they eat can still enjoy A Cote's menu, which features a number of healthy and low-fat items.
At A Cote, easily plan a night out with family, friends, coworkers and more — large parties are always welcome, and a private room is available for use.
A Cote's dress code is casual — diners are welcome to dress up (or down) to their comfort level.
Impress the visitors at your next gathering by calling in A Cote for catering.
A Cote patrons can find street parking at the College Ave location.
A meal at A Cote will typically set you back about $30.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served at A Cote, so come by whenever it fits your schedule.

A Lakeshore delight, Crepes a Coco French Crepe House offers addictive creperie options in the city of Oakland.
None of the fare at Crepes a Coco French Crepe House is low-fat, so you'll have to put the diet aside for a visit here.
The dress code is strictly casual at Crepes a Coco French Crepe House, so come as you are (and as you are comfortable).
For those in a rush, the restaurant lets you take your food to go.
Street parking is plentiful near Crepes a Coco French Crepe House. On busier nights, a garage is also available.
A meal at Crepes a Coco French Crepe House will typically set you back about $30.

Located in Uptown Cafe, Uptown Cafe's crepes have a gooey inside and crisp outside.
With its kid-friendly vibe, Uptown Cafe is a great spot for families to chow down.
Outdoor seating is ready for diners on those warm summer days.
Wifi is on the house at Uptown Cafe, so you can stay connected on your mobile device.
Need to get out of the house? Order and pick up from Uptown Cafe.
We're not like any other place. We've prepared parking onsite for you.
At Uptown Cafe, diners can make use of the safe bike rack.
All major credit cards are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Groupon Guide

For centuries, humans have turned to food in an effort to spice up their love lives.But can aphrodisiac foods really increase your sexual appetite? Spoilsports such as The Journal of Sexual Medicine and the FDA say it’s not possible, but Appetite for Seduction's Shani Delamor disagrees.
The self-proclaimed Sexy Living Diva and her husband teach couples how to use aphrodisiac foods to reignite the spark during intimate Manhattan cooking classes. While Shani explains why certain foods are thought to be aphrodisiacs, couples sip wine and create romantic dinners full of arousal-boosting ingredients.
Here's how to create one of Shani's sexy meals at home.
Course One: Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise SauceWhy It's Sexy: Asparagus is the key ingredient here. French couples used to dine on three meals of asparagus the day before their wedding in an effort to increase their libidos for the wedding night.In addition to its phallic appearance, asparagus contains energy-boosting nutrients and aspartic acid, which neutralizes excess ammonia in the body. Excess ammonia can lead to fatigue and sexual disinterest.
Course Two: Crispy-Skin Salmon Fillets with Honey Onions and SpinachWhy It's Sexy: The second course boasts honey, salmon, and strawberries. Honey contains boron, a trace mineral that increases the level of sex hormones in the body, as well as nitric oxide, which is released in the blood during sexual arousal.“We use salmon because it's from the sea and blessed by the god of love,” Shani said. Venus is also associated with heart-shaped strawberries, whose shape make them perfect for feeding significant others.Course Three: Fonduta di Cioccolato PiccanteWhy It's Sexy: This dessert incorporates chocolate, coffee, and red-pepper flakes.“Chocolate is actually a legit aphrodisiac, not just a fable,” Shani said. The famous aphrodisiac contains the neurotransmitters serotonin and anandamide, which contribute to feelings of euphoria during sex.Coffee, along with chocolate, contains caffeine, a stimulant that increases heart rate and blood flow. It also may give you the energy to have sex. Red-pepper flakes are made from chili peppers. These stimulate endorphins, increase heart rate, boost blood flow, and make you sweat, mimicking a state of arousal.
Photos: Green Asparagus by Sharon & Nikki McCutcheon under CC BY 2.0; Salmon Dinner-2 by Gwen under CC BY 2.0; Chocolate Frosting by Marcy Leigh with text added under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Check out some related reads:How to Make an Adrenal-Gland Cookie for Your LoveWhy give a gift from the heart when you can give one from your real love epicenter: your adrenal glands.The Sexy Vegan on the Sexiest Foods Around
Blogger Brian L. Patton (aka The Sexy Vegan) definitively determines the sexiest fruit, spice, utensil, dinner date, and other sexy food items.

If you’ve eaten at a restaurant any time after 2010, there’s a good chance you’ve photographed your meal or eaten with someone who did. Even if you haven’t gone out to eat since 2010, you’ve probably seen a lot of #sundayfunday Instagram food pictures.
That was the year that launched Instagram and its legion of amateur food photographers, spawning a thousand think pieces on subjects ranging from fully experiencing your meals to the importance of throwing your phone in a river.
For a fresh perspective, we talked to Patrick Sheerin, who knows the Instagramming-your-food trend from a different angle. As a chef and partner at Chicago's Trenchermen, he not only cooks photogenic burgers like the one below but is an avid Instagram user.
What role does Instagram play at the restaurant?
Trenchermen regularly updates its Instagram account. “It’s a great way to be like, ‘Hey, look at this new dish at the restaurant,’” Patrick said. For example, the restaurant dolls up its beer-and-a-burger special for a photo every Wednesday.
Chefs don’t fuss over every dish like it’s headed to a modeling gig, though. Most pictures are taken on the fly, something fellow Instagram users appreciate. “People like that it’s in the moment.”
Trenchermen’s diners are also welcome to take photos, provided they don’t get carried away. “We have had a few people that have asked … to come back to the kitchen where there’s more light,” Patrick said. “How about I send you a picture and you just have a good time?”
Why do people like sharing Instagram food pictures?
Anthony Bourdain once answered this question. “It’s not to share. It’s to make other people feel really bad,” he said. “You don’t want people to be eating dinner with you when you Instagram a picture of your food. You want them to be eating a bag of Cheetos on their couch in their underpants. It’s a passive-aggressive act.”
Patrick sees things differently. “I’m much more of an optimistic person, so I would hope that’s not the case. I would hope that it’s because you want to share your experience with other people.” At worst, he said, it might be a substitute for chatting with friends about your meal after the fact—save time, blast it out on Instagram.
Why do people like looking at Instagram food pictures?
This one struck Patrick as pretty simple: food can be beautiful. “The prettier it looks, the more delicious it looks. It’s enticing,” he said.
Beyond its beauty, food photos’ resonance is unique. Because everyone is hard-wired with the drive, when people look at a stunning photo of food, they have a physical reaction. “You’re like, ‘Oh my gosh … I’m getting hungry.’”
Is there a downside to this trend?
Patrick is no Luddite, but he is a little nostalgic for the pre-Instagram era. “Dining out, at least to me growing up, it was always a treat,” he said. Today, some people dine out because they want to take photos, not to enjoy a meal with someone.
“It’s hard to get that back in the frame, that dining out should be a treat,” he said, “when you’re focusing on taking pictures versus the experience of being out.”
Is there an upside to this trend?
Restaurants absolutely benefit from the trend. “It can be hard to get people to read content,” Patrick said. “But Instagram can be visually arresting.”
It also helps diners, who can use think of it as a prettier and more succinct version Yelp—a place where users can quite literally picture new restaurants and their cuisine. The best part? There are no rambling stories allowed!
Patrick thinks Instagram can be helpful for home cooks, too. “What’s going on now in a restaurant, a couple years down the road, people start to experiment with those sort of flavors [at home],” he said.
Instagram makes culinary trends more accessible. For example, now that you know what they look like, it’ll be easy for you to make the leek terrine or steak tartare in the photographs above.
Probably.
Photos in top image also courtesy of Trenchermen’s Instagram
Take a look at related reads from the Groupon Guide:More Photos of Trenchermen—This Time, We Examine Its Bloody MariaDressed in a garnish crown of onions, salami, and peppers, this tequila-based brunch cocktail packs a punch-you-in-the-face kind of spicy.A Brief History of #FoodPornA blogger spent $143 at McDonald’s to build and eat a giant tower of fast food. He was called a symbol of modern American excess—but he’s just the latest in a long line of indulgence.

In this installment, Groupon’s food correspondent the Picky Panda talks to renowned pastry chef, cook, author, and French food expert David Lebovitz. His most recent book, My Paris Kitchen, bookends recipes for multi-course French meals with stories straight from the city of love. The Groupon Guide had already consulted him on some obscure French cooking facts, but the Panda was itching to know more. PICKY PANDA: Let’s say I’m an American who has never tried French cooking. Or, let’s say I’m a large bear who doesn’t know what France is. Is there an easy way to incorporate French cooking philosophy into my routine?
DAVID LEBOVITZ: Well, French cooking is really about building flavors. It’s not about complexity, it’s about heating the butter with shallots, frying them, getting the flavor out, adding the food, cooking it with salt and herbs … building flavors, rather than just putting stuff in a pan and cooking it.So, a lot of the best French food is not difficult at all, it’s very easy. Things like coq au vin, chicken with red wine sauce, or the mustard chicken that’s on the cover of my book ... you sautée these ingredients, and then you put them together and simmer them. I think that’s something that we lost. Lots of people want to steam vegetables, [and that’s] very easy, but often not very tasty.
The crock pots that are so popular these days in America, it’s actually braised cooking. You put everything in and let it simmer. Whereas the French would sautée the onions first, and so forth.
It seems like a lot of it relies on classic, surprisingly simple methods. But are there any new trends in French cooking right now that you’re excited about?
I think there’s a movement with younger chefs to be more exploratory, and to use ingredients not traditionally found in French cuisine. To be more vegetable-friendly, and to create more vegetable-centric cuisine. And I think that’s really admirable! There’s a lot of [chefs doing it]. There’s Gregory Marchand at Frenchie, there’s Bertrand Grébaut, he’s the chef at Septime. They’re doing very modern but clean French food.I love vegetables! Well, I love one vegetable in particular. But more on that later. My Paris Kitchen is your first book to incorporate savory recipes—you’re usually a sweets kind of guy. How did that make your process for writing this book different?My Paris Kitchen is a much more linear story. It’s a story about my life in France … the whole idea of a multicourse meal, which is very important in France, helped keep the narrative for the book going. It was very easy to start with appetizers, main courses, salad and cheese, and dessert.
People still eat in courses [in France]. Even at home. I have friends who are half my age, and they still eat their meat first, and then they have vegetables, and it’s kind of funny. I’m like, “Couldn’t you just put it all on the same plate?” And they’re like, “Oh, no no no.”
I don’t own plates, but I hear they’re awesome. Speaking of awesome, My Paris Kitchen contains stories as well as recipes. Were there any awesome stories that you wish had made it in, but didn’t?
There’s one that I’m not allowed to share. My editor wrote in the margins, “Too much.” I did include [most of] the story—it was about a cake I had while I was at a nudist island. I hate to say “clothing-optional,” but I don’t know how you say it in English. I talked about how much I liked the dessert I was having, and my editor crossed out the reaction I had to it and said it was too much. That’s why writers have editors.Okay, my last question has to be: how would you put your own spin on bamboo? I really think I’m going to try something new this time.I’ve actually cooked a lot of Asian food in my life, so I’ve had bamboo shoots and so forth. What I would do is sautée them with chicken, and some lemongrass and ginger, of course, and do a really nice stir fry.
About the Picky Panda:As a giant panda, I eat up to 30 pounds of bamboo a day. But after I got a job writing for the Groupon Guide, I found out that not everyone eats bamboo exclusively. (And that not everyone is a giant panda! Geeze!) Now, I’m on a mission to learn all I can about the world of food, cooking, and restaurants by talking to some of the greatest culinary minds of our time.Previous Picky Panda Talks:Kristy Turner, the vegan author behind the blog Keepin’ It Kind and the cookbook But I Could Never Go Vegan! Dan Raskin, co-owner of Chicago’s iconic Manny’s Deli